African News

Democratic Republic of Congo

CONGO (FORMERLY ZAIRE)
 Democratic Republic of the Congo  Capital city:------Kinshasa    See Google Map

      GEOGRAPHY:

  • Location:-------------------- Central Africa
  • Area:
       Total area:--- 2,345,410 sq km
       Land area:--- 2,267,600 sq km
  • Capital city:------------- Kinshasa
  • Natural Resources:------------- Hard coal, soft coal, kaolin clay, graphite

    PEOPLE:
  • Population:----------------- 68,692,542
  • Literacy Rate:-------------- 77.3% of total population, (Males:86.6%, Females:67.7%)
  • Languages:------------------ French (official), lingala(a lingua fraca trade language), kingwana(a dilect of kiswahili or swahili), kikongo, tshiluba.
  • Religions:------------------ 50% roman catholic, 20% protestans, 10% kimbanguist, 10% muslim, 10% other syncretic sects & traditional beliefs.

    VITAL STATISTICS:
  • Birth Rate:------------- 48.1 (per 1,000 population)
  • Death Rate:------------- 16.9 (per 1,000 population)
  • Infant Mortality Rate:------------ 108 (deaths per 1,000 live births)
  • Fertility Rate:-------------- 6.64 (per woman)
  • Life Expectancy at Birth:
       Total population:--- 46.7 (Males:44.97, Females:48.47)

    GOVERNMENT:
  • Independence:---------------- June 30, 1960 (from Belgium)
  • President:-------------- Joseph Kabila
  • Prime Minister:--------- Adolphe Muzito
    ECONOMY:
  • GDP:------------ purchasing power parity - $16.5 billion    GDP real growth rate:--- 7.4%    GDP per capita:--- $400
  • Inflation Rate:---------------- (consumer prices): --- 12%
  • National Budget:
       Revenues:--- $479 million
       Expenditures:--- $479 million
  • External Debt:-------------- $11.3 billion
  • Currency:-------------- 1 zaire = 100 makuta
  • Labor Force:------------- 14.51
  • Unemployment Rate:------------- NA%
  • Agriculture:---------------- Coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava (topioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products
  • Industries:---------------- Mining, mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages), cement, diamonds
  • Imports:----------------- $382 million
       Commodities:--- Consumer goods, foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels.
  • Exports:----------------- $382 million
       Commodities:--- Copper, coffee, diamonds, cobalt, crude oil.

    DEFENCE:
  • Defence Expenditures:--------------- Exchange rate conversion - $46 million, 1.5% of GDP.
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Geography:Zaire is in west central Africa

 

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